The leap from Korean barbecue to pop music might not seem an obvious one, but for collaborator Pete Cho it was the only logical move.

No stranger to the music industry, Cho spent years as a DJ touring the U.S., enthralling crowds on stages from Lollapalooza to North Coast Music Festival before leaving it all in 2012 and heading back home to Chicago to care for his ill father.

With the help of his mother, Cho launched GOGI, his successful Korean barbecue restaurant, but the itch to get back into music persisted — intensifying a year later after an introduction to Dino Zisis (Lady Gaga's "Applause") and with the recollection of words of support from his father

"Before my dad passed away he said after two years of running a restaurant, if I find passion in music again, sell the business and get back into it. He told me he was proud either way. Strangely, everything is following that path," Cho said.

Cultivating an ever-amplifying appreciation for pop music, Pete has studied the craft of pop writing and production — pitching songs for major artists, movie sync opportunities, and finding time to release music for himself and his friends.

Now he's gone all in, selling his restaurant to make music full-time as an artist, producer, and songwriter.